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Protecting Medicare and Medicaid from extreme proposals, such as the
Dole-Gingrich budget, which would have shifted a staggering
financial burden to elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries,
reduced Medicaid nursing home coverage for elderly and disabled
Americans, and resulted in damaging structural changes in the
Medicare program.
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Continuing to fight for proposals that strengthen the Medicare Trust
Fund. The President's 1993 Economic Plan extended the life of the
Trust Fund by three years, and his balanced budget guarantees the
life of the Trust Fund for a decade. President Clinton is combating
fraud and abuse, enhancing quality, and supporting an expansion of
voluntary managed-care options to increase choices for
beneficiaries. He has also proposed more preventive services and
respite care benefits for families of victims of Alzheimer's
disease.
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Opposing Republican proposals to reduce Medicaid long-term care
coverage. The President has consistently supported expanding state
administered home- and community-based care services, tax
clarifications, consumer standards for private long-term care
insurance, and penalty-free withdrawals from IRAs to pay for
long-term care.
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Recognizing that Social Security has successfully provided a
foundation of economic security to older Americans for decades. The
President is committed to ensuring the long-term integrity of the
Trust Fund. He has made Social Security an independent agency,
reducing backlogs and upgrading services. The President firmly
opposes any proposals that would use Social Security benefits to
balance the budget to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
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Proposing pension initiatives that are helping more Americans save
for retirement and ensuring that pension benefits are safeguarded
for retirement. The Retirement Savings and Security Act proposed
this year by the President would increase pension portability,
enhance pension protection, and expand coverage. The Retirement
Protection Act, signed by the President in 1994, strengthened
pension plan standards and enhanced enforcement authority so workers
and retirees can be assured of receiving the pensions they have
earned.
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Proposing reauthorization of the Older Americans Act that will renew
and strengthen critical Meals on Wheels, transportation, senior
community employment, and ombudsman services. The President is also
fighting to protect the Corporation for National Service's Senior
Service Programs -- Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
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Elevating the Commissioner of Aging to Assistant Secretary status
and convening the fourth White House Conference on Aging in May
1995.
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Signing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to give more than 12
million workers the opportunity to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid
leave to care for a family member without fear of losing their jobs.
The President has also proposed expanding the FMLA and allowing
workers to take up to 24 hours of unpaid leave in support of their
children's educational needs, older relatives' health care, and
other family medical and dental obligations.
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Signing his tough Crime Bill which is adding 100,000 police to our
streets and banning 19 kinds of assault weapons. He fought for and
signed the Brady Bill which has prevented over 60,000 people with
criminal records from buying handguns.
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